AI adoption in Steam games soars, but developer profits are low
A recent analysis of the video game industry revealed a significant increase in the number of game launches that use artificial intelligence (AI) on the Steam platform. However, this increase is not reflected in proportional financial success for the majority of developers. The study, which examined more than 53,000 titles, points to a relentless market, especially for smaller productions.
Conducted by Sulka Haro, former lead designer of Habbo Hotel and current CEO of Mainframe Industries, the studio behind the sandbox MMO Pax Dei, the research covered games released between July 2023 and July 2026. Haro emphasizes that the analysis is a complete census, not a sampling, offering a detailed view of the impact of AI.
Increase in the volume of launches driven by technology
Since 2024, when Valve implemented the requirement to disclose the use of AI in games, the launch landscape on Steam has changed considerably. Titles without this marking increased from around 1,030 to 1,320 per month. At the same time, games with AI indication reached 530 new monthly releases, showing a significantly faster growth rate.
Learn more: Steam reveals data: 1% of games take 94% of total revenue on the platform
- In 2024, AI games represented 10.9% of launches.
- In 2025, this share rose to 19.9%.
- In 2026, the number reached 30.8%, indicating that almost a third of new games on Steam use some form of AI in their production.
Haro stated that, “depending on the window you choose, 60% to 90% of the growth in monthly releases on Steam is AI-tagged games.”
Imbalance between volume of games and financial return
Despite the large volume of launches, the financial reality for these games is challenging. The study highlights that the 1% of the most successful titles, regardless of whether they use AI or not, concentrate approximately 94% of the estimated revenue on the platform. This metric, based on the number of game reviews, highlights how Steam is a market dominated by blockbusters.
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- In the first quarter of 2026, AI titles accounted for 28% of launches, but only 17% of estimated sales.
- In the second quarter of the same year, the situation worsened, with 33% of launches being AI games, but accounting for only 10% of sales.
Notable exceptions and the role of AI in large productions
There was, however, an exception in 2025. In the fourth quarter of that year, the share of sales of AI games (27%) exceeded their share of launches (25%). This was mainly driven by Arc Raiders, from Embark Studios, a title that uses AI-generated content and became a phenomenon in the period. Pearl Abyss’ Crimson Desert is also cited as one of the greatest AI-marked games, both developed for many years before being released.
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These examples suggest that AI can be a valuable tool on large productions with robust teams and clear visions, where time and investment are significant. However, success does not seem to be directly linked to the use of technology alone.
Artificial intelligence: a tool, not a shortcut to indie success
Sulka Haro carefully contextualizes her findings, noting that the data should not be interpreted as a direct indicator of rejection of AI. According to him, “the AI tool is exactly that, a tool. Making a great game still requires a great team with a vision.” The analysis points out that the majority of games that currently declare the use of AI are small productions, generally from lean teams.
These teams have historically struggled to achieve success on Steam, regardless of AI adoption. Technology, although it allows a greater entry of securities into the market, does not prove to be a “silver bullet”. For small studios, artificial intelligence is no substitute for the time, effort and vision required to create a commercially successful game in an already saturated and highly competitive market. Simply being able to generate content faster with AI does not solve the fundamental challenges of quality, originality and, most importantly, audience discovery.
